Method and means for determining the egg production of fowls



Dee. 15, 1925. l y 1,565,476

f A. P. LITTLE ET AL METHOD AND MEANS Fon DETERMINING THE EGG rnonucnon 9F FowLsj y Filed March 1, 1924 Q Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARLINGTON P. LITTLE AND'MYRTLE T. LITTLE, GOLDEN, COLORADO.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR DETERMINING THE PRODCTION OF FOWLS.

Application filed March 1, 1924.4 Serial No. 696,333.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARLINGTON P. Lrr- 'rLE and MYRTLE 'IyLITTLm citizens of the United States, residing at Golden, Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Method and Means for Determining the Egg Production of Fowls, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relat-es to a method of trapnesting fowls, employing main pens or enclosures, connected by intermediate compartments or trap nests through which the fowls pass from one pen to another in predetermined sequence; and has 'for its object the determination of the egg production of fowls over va period of time. In carrying out our invention, which is not necessarily limited to the particular arrangement, number of pens, number of trap nests, or construction, which we have illustrated, it will be understood that the forms shown may be soV modified in arrangement', construction and detail as will adapt it to particular conditions.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a four-pen trapnesting system. Figure 2 is a plan of a similar system having twelve pens. Figure 3 is a top view of catch for rear door of trap nest. Figure 4 is a side -view 0f pushrod. Figure 5 is aV front view of an intermediate compartment or trap nest. Figure 6 is a cross section of the trap nest through line A-B of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 7 is a rear view of trap nest, and Figure 8 is a side view ofrtrap nest, showing a cross section i .through the lines C-D of Figure 7, looking in the direction of the arrows. vFigure 9 is a top view of tiltable shelf; Figure 10 is an end view and Figure 11 a side view of this shelf.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts throughoutvthe several views.

The main pens or enclosures, 1 to 4 inclusive in Figure 1, and 9 to 2O inclusive in Figure 2, communicate kwith each other through the intermediatev compartments yor trap nests 5 to 8 inclusive in Figure 1 and 21 to 31 inclusive in Figure 2. 32 represents roosts in pen 20. Y f' A fowl `entersthe trap nest through the jfront opening or entrance 42. The platform 51'has hinges 57 at its lower edge, and the weight of the fowl on this platform exerts a pull on the canvas 47, which is attachedto the cylinder 48, causing` said cylinder to ro- V'dotted line position 50.

A The fowl tate on its bearings 43, 43. The front door 50 is attached to cylinder 48 and the rotation of this cylinder lifts door 50 to the The horizontally projecting lug 66 comes in contact with the inside of front 41 of the trap nest and prevents further outward movement of door 50.

The rotation of theJ cylinder 48 allows the platform 51 to move into the dotted line position51. n

An egg deposited by the entrapped fowl rolls down the sloping platform 51 ontok the vtiltable shelf 59, the weight of said egg causure 9). In the intermediate position 59 of the shelf 59, the opening between said shelf and the lower edge of beam 65 is not sufiicient to allow the egg to pass intov the yegg j chamber 64.

The rear door 68 is held closed against exit of the entrapped fowl by means of the catch 72 (see Figure 3) andthe catch vrod 75 (see Figure 8), Which rod normally projects through the opening 35 of the catch 72. IVhen the shelf 59 is moved into theinterd mediate position 59', as previously described, the rod 75, whichpasses through the opening 79 of said shelf (see Figure 9), is per mitted to fall vertically downward until the upper end of rod is below the openingl 35 of catch 72 and permits the rear door 68 to be pushed outward vinto lor beyond the dotted `line position 68 yallowing the entrapped fowl to leave through the rear opening 67. I j 1 'in leaving the trap nest and stepping on the horizontal piece 60 causes the spring 73 to be compressed, and the downward movement 'of the piece 60 depresses rod 38 and permits the shelf 59 to Vmove into the lower dotted line position 59".

thus be pushed upward into its normalposition shown in Figure 8.V

The catch 72 is rotatable to a limited e1;- tent on the shaft or projection 74;, its clockwise rotation (referring to Figure S) being limited through the lug 3B coming into contact with the rear door G8. After the fowl has passed from the nest, the rear door moves under the action of gravity into closed position shown by the full lines, and the end 36 of the catch 72, coming into Contact with rod l5 will be raised and pushed inward ou closing rear door (itl, until the opening in said catch comes opposite the end of rods 75. Said catch will then drop into the position shown in Figure 8, and in this position will prevent the rear door beingl pushed outward by a fowl entrai'iped in the nest.

The projections Tel. Tl. of door (3S prevent the door from being pushed inward. The rod 75 is held loosely in a vertical position by means of the strap 8l.

Then the weight of the fowl is removed from the platform 5l, the upward pressure of the spring Ll?) restores said platform to the position shown by the full lines, and the front door 6G, under the action of gravity, returns to the full line position.

The chamber (ist uovided with a cover 62 held in position by hinges Gl and may be lifted by means of the knob 63. The shelf lll is supported by braces d5, 45.

The t"apnest, views of which are shown in Figures 5, G, 7 and 8, and certain details in Figures 3, il, 9, l() and ll represents the preferred form, but any suitable arrangement may be employed whereby the entrance of a fowl causes the front opening or entrance to the trap nest to be closed against exit of said fowl or entrance of another fowl through said opening, while said fowl is entrapped within the nest; and to have said obstruction to said entrance removed when said fowl leaves said nest; and further, that any convenient arrangement may be employed which will effectually prevent a fowl from entering said trap nest by other than the entrance designated.

The operation of the trapnesting system herein described is illustrated by the following example: Suppose it is desired to determine the rate of laying of a fowl or of each individual member of a group of fowls. A fowl or group of fowls is placed in one of the pens as No. l. A fowl in this pen desiring to lay enters a trap nest 5 through its entrance 4Q. and laying her egg, leaves said trap nest through exit G7 and passes into pen 2. Said fowl on again desiring to lay enters a trap nest G, deposits her egg and leaves said trap nest through its exit G7 and enters pen 3. rfhis process being twice repeated the said fowl would appear in trap nest S. The exit of trap nest 8 may be permanently closed so that said fowl will .be retained in this trap nest until her identity and record can be noted. The arrows in l and 2 indicate the general direction of travel of a fowl or group of fowls through the pens and trap nests.

Figure 2 represents an arrangement substantially similar to Figure l, but having twelve pens. A fowl placed in 9 and dei'iositing her egg in one of the trap nests 2l enters pen l() through the trapnest exit 67. Paid fowl repeating this process a certain number ol times will ultimately appear in pen 20, where, after said fowl goes to roost, or at any other convenient time, her identity may be ascertained.

By noting' the time that elapses between date of placing said fowl in pen 9 and that of her appearance in pen 20 and noting the inunber of eggs laid by said fowl during this period, her rate of laying can be determined. Said fowl may again be placed in 9 and the process described repeated as ofte-n as desired.

Any or all of the pens l to 4, inclusive or 9 to 20 inclusive may be provided with feed, drink, roosts and other conveniences. They may also, if desired, communicate with exterior yards or enclosures.

rlhe customary present method of determining the production of a fowl is to cause said fowl to deposit her egg in a trap nest which remains closed to the exitof said fowl until released by an attendant, who notes the identity of said fowl and ent-ers a notation on her record for each egg laid.

lThe advantages of our method of determining the rate of laying of a fowl are, first, the labor saved in handling the fowl and in entering the notation of her record, because a fowl entering a first pen and ultimately appearing at. last pen will havelaid a number of eggs corresponding substantially to the number of intermediate pens or trap nests through which she has passed since the beginning of the cycle, and therefore one handling` of the fowl and .one notation on the record will suffice for more than one egg laid by said fowl; second, the fowl entering the trap nest and laying is not re- Yquired to wait for an attendant to release her, but may leave said trapnest at will; third, the danger of breaking the egg or eggs through trampling is reduced; fourth,V a fewer number of trap nests is necessary for a given number of fowls, because of the shorter time the fowls are required to remain in the trap nests.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a trapnesting system of the character described, comprising a plurality of consecutively arranged pens for fowls, and trapnests interposed between every two consecutive pens, whereby a fowl may pass from one pen tothe ynext in sequence after the laying of an egg.

2. In a trapnesting system of the charnest until all of said pens have been traversed,

3. In a trapnesting system of the character described, comprising a plurality of consecutively arranged pens for fowls, a plurality of laterally aligned trapnests interposed between every two consecutive pens,

said trapnests .each comprising a spring elevated inclined platform, a normally open entrance door adapted to be closed by the weight of a fowl upon the spring elevated inclined platform, an egg receptacle adjacent one end of said receptacle and a normally closed exit door retained by a latch; said latch adapted to be released by means associated with said egg receptacle when the latter is actuated by the descending of an egg from said platform upon said receptacle whereby a fowl may pass through said' exit door from one pen to the next in sequence after the laying of an egg.

4;. In a trapnesting system of the character described, comprising a plurality of consecutively arranged pens for fowls, a

plurality of laterally aligned trapnests interposed between every two consecutive pens, said trapnests each comprising a spring elevated inclined platform, a normally open entrance door adapted to be closed by the weight of av fowl upon the spring elevatedv inclined platform, an egg receptacle adjacent one end of the platform, a normally closed exit door, means normally engaging and holding said exit door in closed position, means actuated by the weight of an egg adapted to release said first mentioned means, means on said second mentioned means to prevent the egg from dropping into said receptacle thereby preventing the iirst mentionedmeans from. returning to its normal door engaging position, and means operated by the weight of the hen leaving the nest to actuate said second mentioned means to allow the egg to drop into said receptacle and allow said first mentioned means to return to normal door engaging position after the hen has left the nest.

ARLINGTON P. LITTLE. MYRTLE T. LITTLE. 

